Stephen Graham's latest thriller 'The Good Boy' has entered Amazon Prime Video's top 10 shortly after its streaming debut. The film, directed by Jan Komasa, stars Graham alongside Andrea Riseborough and Anson Boon.
Plot and Premise
The film follows a seemingly respectable married couple who chain up an obnoxious youth in their basement to teach him family values. As the youth undergoes training, questions arise about who is manipulating whom. The official synopsis says it 'needs to be seen to be believed'. The film first screened at TIFF and the London Film Festival in October 2025. Signature Entertainment released it in UK and Irish cinemas on March 20, 2026, ahead of its Prime debut. In the US, it was released under the title 'Heel'.
Critical Reception
'The Good Boy' holds an 87% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes from 71 reviews, with an audience score of 78%. Performances have been praised as 'doggone exceptional'. The film has been compared to 'an early Yorgos Lanthimos'. The Standard's review called it 'a sick premise that only gets sicker', while Flickering Myth described it as 'relentlessly bleak 'fun' and twisty-turny throughout'. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave a four-star review, calling it a 'Kubrickian absurdist nightmare'. Digital Spy's five-star review praised a 'compelling genre blend of dark thriller, absurdist comedy and thought-provoking drama'. Other descriptions include 'wickedly strange, psychologically rich fairy tale' and simply 'messed up'.
Cast and Runtime
The cast includes Stephen Graham, Andrea Riseborough, Anson Boon, Kit Rakusen, and Monika Frajczyk. The runtime is 1 hour and 50 minutes, with a 15 age rating.
The film's pitch-dark humour balances its uncomfortable premise, with Boon's swagger and Graham's polite menace as his character Chris insists 'we're not psychopaths!' while beating the youth. The ending is unexpected, deviating from what viewers might expect.
